2009-2010 - BIDS

Looking Ahead: Serving the Cause of
Shared and Inclusive Development
From an operational perspective, promoting
research-based policies is the ultimate goal
of BIDS activities. The expectation is that
research would contribute to bringing a more propoor
orientation in the policy agenda and serve
the cause of shared and inclusive development. For
achieving this, the endeavor of BIDS is to continue
to work on creating strong research-policy links
that would ensure the use of research outcomes in
policy formulation, directly or indirectly.
For making the efforts more effective, BIDS has
been taking special measures to understand the
underlying processes, such as how receptive is
the policy framework to research outcomes what
is the extent to which research can influence the
processes, activities, and actions underlying the
policy making framework in what ways research
affects policy and how to judge the
influence
o n
policy No doubt these are complex issues and
the efforts of BIDS are to focus on intermediate
influences as well that are often important for
building policy capacity and furthering dialogues
to bring consensus and enhance the chances of
adopting research based policies in Bangladesh. In
this context, the focus of BIDS is also to understand
the broader issues of research-policy nexus that
exists in the country.
In bringing research closer to policies, BIDS
continuously strives to develop interactions and
linkages with transmitting vehicles such as other
think tanks, networks, and institutions who work
for different targeted policy audiences for ensuring
wider and more effective dissemination and use
of BIDS policy messages. Along with carrying out
policy research, an important agenda for BIDS
is therefore to develop advocacy coalitions with
various government and non-government actors
sharing similar values and beliefs which can
emerge as a powerful force in influencing policies.
For ensuring acceptance by the policymakers,
BIDS research emphasizes several factors,
such as its quality, completeness in terms
of interpretation, analysis of available
and feasible options, widest possible
participation and consultation
among concerned stakeholders,
and the nature of research-policy
nexus surrounding specific
issues. In effect, in order to bring
success in influencing policies,
BIDS researchers always remain
prepared to take advantage of
policy windows, learn to create
new windows, and play the
role of ‘policy entrepreneurs’
to tap defining moments in
promoting the causes of shared
and inclusive development as
articulated in the BIDS Charter.
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BIDS Biennial Report 2009-2010